Dan Walker was left stranded on the M25 on Monday evening after his Volvo hit something on the motorway, forcing him to abandon his vehicle. The Channel 5 star detailed the ordeal on Instagram the following morning, describing the night as "eventful."
Walker, who was driving to London, said his tyres began making an "awful noise" after the car "hit something or went over something on the M25." He pulled onto the hard shoulder at 9:30pm and called for breakdown cover.
Breakdown drama unfolds
Walker praised Volvo assistance, saying they were "amazing" and agreed to send help. However, about an hour later, the truck driver called back with unexpected news: "You're not going to believe this… they've closed the motorway. We can't get to you."
At around 11pm, Walker found himself on a completely empty M25, trying to flag down a highway maintenance vehicle to let the tow-truck through. Eventually, they did, and he abandoned his car at services somewhere along the route.
Late night, early start
Walker got to bed after 1am, writing: "Tired but thankful… today is definitely a day for a second cup of tea!" Despite the ordeal, he managed to arrive on time for his Classic FM gig on Tuesday morning, having arranged for his car to be picked up.
Following the post, Walker received supportive messages from fellow broadcasters. Dawn O'Porter wrote: "Wow, Dan, that's so stressful. Horrid when you know you have to be on air so early," while Zoe Ball replied: "Blimey, what an adventure. Scary stuff."
Return to work after holiday
The car trouble came just hours after Walker returned for his first day back at Classic FM following a summer break. He had earlier shared a photo on Monday morning with the caption: "Back on @classicfm breakfast after a couple of weeks off."
Walker also mentioned a holiday mishap: "I got bitten twice on the ear by a mossy on the last day of our holiday! I had a massive ear for a few days, but thankfully it has gone down now."
During his time off, Walker enjoyed a family camping trip in Cornwall with his wife Sarah and their three children, followed by a visit to Noyers-sur-Serein in Burgundy, France. He noted: "The kids and their cousins have had an amazing time, and the weather has been wonderful," adding that he managed to fit in some golf and plenty of food, with the "humble croissant" remaining undefeated.
